Transport: Even Minister Doesn’t Look for Cyclists

British motorists and car passengers have been urged to learn a simple safety technique called the “Dutch Reach” in order to stop risking the lives of cyclists when they open car doors.

The advocacy group Cycling UK has written to Jesse Norman, the Assistant Minister for Roads, calling for a campaign to promote the Dutch Reach, in which car occupants open the door with the hand furthest from the door, ensuring they turn and look backwards.

One person who could definitely do with tips on how to open a door safely and legally is Norman’s boss, the Transport Secretary Chris Grayling, who has been caught on video (left) knocking a cyclist off his bike by opening a car door outside Parliament without first checking for safety.

The video footage was taken last year by another cyclist on his handlebar-mounted camera and shows Grayling knocking over the passing cyclist, sending his bicycle crashing into a lamp-post in an incident that left the rider on the ground in a clear state of shock.

The film shows Grayling swinging open the door of his ministerial car as it sat in traffic outside the Palace of Westminster while the unfortunate cyclist tried to cycle past. The Guardian, which obtained the video footage, named the victim as Jaiqi Liu. The Transport Secretary left his car to speak to the shaken cyclist and to check on his well-being. Grayling apparently apologised to the cyclist before shaking his hand and heading off.

The act of opening a car door in the path of a passing cyclist is a criminal offence if the cyclist is injured or a complaint is made. In Grayling’s case, the incident was fully recorded but there was no complaint.

Cycling UK, which claims to represent 67,000 cyclists, wants to see the introduction of a new criminal offence of causing death or serious injury through negligently opening a car door because offenders now face a maximum penalty of just £1,000 even if a cyclist is killed or seriously injured.

The charity’s analysis of Department for Transport data shows that between 2011 and 2015 there were 3,108 people injured and eight killed in incidents where “vehicle door opened or closed negligently” was a contributing factor in incidents attended by the police.

Some 2,009 of the casualties were cyclists, including five fatalities.

These figures understate the true extent of the problem because many cases, like that of the Transport Secretary, are not attended by the police.

“Some people seem to see car-dooring as a bit of a joke but it’s not and can have serious consequences, “ said Paul Tuohy, Cycling UK’s chief executive. “Cycling UK wants to see greater awareness made about the dangers of opening your car door negligently, and people to be encouraged to look before they open.”

“In the Netherlands they are known for practicing a method, known sometimes as the Dutch Reach, which we think could be successfully encouraged in the UK.”

That technique has dramatically cut accidents, injuries and even deaths.”Cycling UK has written to the Department for Transport asking them to look into this, and highlight the dangers of car-dooring through a public awareness Think!-style campaign,” he said.

Automobile Association president Edmund King agreed it was a serious safety problem. “We know car-dooring can be dangerous, so drivers, passengers and those on two wheels need to be alert to the dangers,” he said.

And especially, it seems, the Cabinet Secretary responsible for road safety.

 

by Bob Graham

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